Dispenser for frangible frozen food articles

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for dispensing articles into a container or basket and for controlling the dispensing mechanism to more accurately, efficiently, and intelligently dispense the desired articles with less damages to the articles. The dispenser includes a primary storage location which can take the form of a bulk storage hopper, an accumulator storage location into which the dispensed articles are transferred during the dispensing of the articles. A reversing drum and a flexible, resilient diverter are configured and arranged to reduce article breakage and/or to transfer different types of articles. The drum is also designed to provide a self-alignment between the drum and a motor shaft when the drum is mounted onto the drum motor shaft. A load/weight sensing/measuring assembly accurately and intelligently weighs the articles in the accumulator by an adaptive weighing method. The load/weight sensing/measuring assembly includes a spring to convert force to displacement and a solid-state sensor/magnet mechanism to replace the expensive load cell assembly.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to dispensing; more particularlyto dispensing food items; and more particularly still to an intelligent,efficient dispensing unit for dispensing frozen food items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Frozen french fry dispensers are known in the art. An example isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,498 issued to Cahlander et al; U.S.Pat. No. 5,353,847 issued to Cahlander et al; and U.S. Pat. No.5,191,918 issued to Cahlander et al. Each of the foregoing patentsdiscloses a french fry dispenser which includes a main storage bin, adevice for moving the fries from the main storage bin into a secondarylocation, a means for holding the fries in the secondary location, and acomplex apparatus for moving empty cooking baskets into position underthe secondary storage location.

[0003] While the disclosed dispenser automates the process of dispensingfrozen articles and has been successful in the marketplace, there areseveral areas in which the dispenser may be improved. First, the complexapparatus used for automatically moving the plurality of baskets intoposition under the secondary position is often not needed and/or desiredby the end-user. Further, in such instances, providing such a deviceintroduces unnecessarily complex and expensive equipment into thedispenser.

[0004] Second, the manner in which the disclosed apparatus determinesthe weight of the articles to dispense does not provide highly accurateresults (e.g., dispensing by time and by volume may be non-linear basedin part upon the articles dispensed). To solve the problem, a load cellis often used to accurately measure the weight of the articles. However,such a load cell is usually an expensive piece of equipment which addsmore expense into the dispenser apparatus. Accordingly, there is a needfor an inexpensive and accurate load/weight measuring device.

[0005] Third, the device for moving the fries from the main storage bininto the secondary location may be clogged by large clumps of fries thuscausing breakage of the fries. Further, in some instances, articleswhich have different characteristics from fries are desired to bedispensed. Accordingly, a controllable device is needed to resolve thisproblem.

[0006] Fourth, the manner in which the disclosed apparatus dispensesdoes not have an efficient dispensing rate for various types of foodproducts or articles. More specifically, the dispensing rate is eithertoo fast which causes difficulty in stopping at an accurate weight ortoo slow which extends to an unreasonable time. The fundamental problemis that a dense product or product with a large weight per particle, ifdispensed rapidly, cannot be stopped at an accurate weight, for example,due to the weight of product in flight, i.e. the weight of the productwhich has not reached the weighing mechanism but has been dispensed.Thus, there is a need to dispense the product at an appropriate rate,e.g. at a rate which reacts to the approaching target weight. Anotherassociated problem is that if the load/weight sensing/measuring assemblyoperates at a rate appropriate to a denser product, a weighing cycle maybe extended to an unreasonable time, e.g. four to six times the cyclefor a heavier product. Thus, there is a need for a controllable weighingmechanism to provide an appropriate dispensing rate based on the weightof articles dispensed. Such an improved dispenser apparatus should alsoprovide for accurate weighing by taking into account differences in eachdifferent dispenser unit and characteristics of the articles dispensed,i.e. the weighing mechanism should learn over time, e.g. severaldispensing cycles, to account for such discrepancies.

[0007] Fifth, it is often desired to limit the defrosting/thawing of thefrozen articles. In many cases, however, the frozen articles to bedispensed from the disclosed apparatus are easily defrosted or thawed,especially when the dispenser is the near cooking area. Accordingly,there is a need for an air restricting mechanism implemented in theapparatus to help slow the defrosting/thawing of the frozen articles.

[0008] Sixth, the disclosed apparatus is adapted for dispensing frozenfries. The disclosed apparatus is not configured and arranged todispense other articles, such as onion rings, drummies, or evendifferent sized frozen fries, etc. Therefore, there is a need for animproved dispenser apparatus which is configured and arranged todispense a variety of food products or articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention provides for a reliable method andapparatus for dispensing articles and controlling the dispensingmechanism to more accurately dispense the desired articles. Such controlmay also be expanded to learn over time to modify the control to achieveeven greater accuracy.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment constructed according to the principlesof the present invention, the apparatus for dispensing food articlesfrom a primary storage holding area to a basket includes: a primary foodarticle storage location and an accumulator food article storagelocation arranged and configured proximate to the primary food articlestorage location. The food articles fall by gravity to a basket which isgenerally located beneath the accumulator food article storage location.A rotatable, reversible drum controllably transfers the food articlesfrom the primary to the accumulator food article storage location inresponse to a control signal. An accumulator door controllably dispensesthe food articles from the accumulator food article storage location tothe basket in response to a control signal. The control signals aregenerated by a controller.

[0011] In one aspect of the invention, the drum motor is reversed in itsrotation direction upon detection of a predetermined current increaseand/or a predetermined speed decrease of the drum motor. After apredetermined period of time or turn, the drum motor is rotated forwardagain in its normal dispensing direction. One advantage of this aspectof the present invention is that it significantly reduces food breakageand can be adapted for various types of food articles (e.g., in oneexample, frangible frozen food items).

[0012] In another aspect of the invention, the articles in theaccumulator food article storage location are retained in that area bythe accumulator door. The accumulator door is selectively operatedbetween open and closed positions. A load/weight measurement device isarranged and configured to weigh the articles retained by theaccumulator door in real time. In a preferred embodiment, a spring isused to convert the load/weight to displacement. By sensing thedisplacement with a sensor and sending the sensed weight signal to thecontroller, the controller calculates the load/weight of the articles inthe accumulator food article storage location. When a desired orpredetermined weight is reached, the controller signals the drum motorto reduce the dispensing rate and stop. The accumulator door may beselectively opened automatically upon reaching the desired weight anddetecting the presence of the basket or may be operated by a user whendesired.

[0013] A further aspect of the present invention is that an adaptiveweighing method is utilized in the controller during theweighing/measuring process of the articles in the accumulator storagelocation. One advantage of using the adaptive weighing method is that itoptimizes the dispensing rate by adjusting its dispensing rate to matcha predetermined rate. The controller monitors in real time the sensedweight signal from the load sensor and operates the drum motor tocontrol the articles dispensed into the accumulator area to apredetermined level. Thus, by monitoring the movement of the drum andthe weight of the transferred articles, the controller can determine themanner in which the drum should be moved in a future dispensing cycle soas to increase the accuracy of the dispensed articles. Accordingly, theadaptive weighing method not only resolves the problem mentioned beforebut also allows an accurate, intelligent, efficient dispensing process.

[0014] An additional aspect of the present invention is that itsignificantly improves the food handling mechanism. First, a flexiblediverter is used to flexibly control the distance between the drum andthe diverter. It allows a larger article to go through the space betweenthe drum and the diverter without necessarily letting many other smallerarticles uncontrollably pass through at one time. Further, it allowsvarious types of articles to be dispensed with significantly lessbreakage. Second, the drum is arranged and configured to have a numberof raised areas with different heights and land areas. Third, airrestricting members are provided between a hopper lid and a hopper bodyand between the hopper and the accumulator. Fourth, the accumulator dooris arranged and configured to include two flaps, one of which extendsover the other at their connecting end to reduce/restrict the air flowentering into or exiting out of the accumulator.

[0015] A further additional aspect of the invention is that theaccumulator is separate from the hopper. The accumulator is preferablymounted on a frame or housing of the dispenser apparatus. One advantageof such feature is that the accuracy of the weight measurement of thearticles in the accumulator storage location is improved. It will beappreciated that in the prior art systems, some of the food articles mayreside within the accumulator area and some may extend up into thehopper. Because friction may exist between these latter items and thewalls of the hopper, the accuracy of the weight measurement may beimproved (and variability reduced) by separating the accumulator fromthe hopper as in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] A yet another aspect of the invention is that one end of the drumis arranged and configured to have a twist entrance for mounting thedrum onto the drum motor shaft. The twist entrance provides aself-alignment for the drum to slide onto the drum motor shaft. Theadvantage of the self-alignment is that a user does not have to reachinside the hopper to adjust the drum position while placing the hopperonto the dispenser apparatus, especially when the hopper contains a fullload of articles.

[0017] According to yet another aspect of the invention, there isprovided a method of dispensing articles. The method includes: loadingthe articles into a primary article storage location; initiating adispense signal; controllably transferring the articles to anaccumulator article storage location in response to a control signal,the control signal being adjusted in real time in accordance with arotation speed and/or a sensed current of a transfer assembly, theaccumulator article storage location including an accumulator doorarranged and configured to selectively open upon receipt of anaccumulator door open signal, wherein the articles fall by gravity to ashelf, generally located beneath the accumulator door; weighing thearticles in the accumulator article storage location in real time andgenerating a weigh signal; receiving the weigh signal, comparing thereceived weigh signal to a predetermined weigh value, and adjusting thecontrol signal; and generating the accumulator door open signal.

[0018] While the invention will be described with respect to a preferredembodiment configuration and with respect to particular components, itwill be understood that the invention is not to be construed as limitedby such configurations or components. Further, while the preferredembodiment of the invention will be described in relation to dispensingfrozen french fries and to the method applicable to using a controllerto dispense at greater accuracy, it will be understood that the scope ofthe invention is not to be limited by this environment in which thepreferred embodiment is described herein.

[0019] These and various other advantages and features whichcharacterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a betterunderstanding of the invention, its advantages and objectives obtainedby its use, reference should be had to the drawings which form a furtherpart hereof and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which thereis illustrated and described a preferred embodiment to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals represent likeparts throughout the several views:

[0021]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser, with a back sidecover removed for illustration, of the present invention;

[0022]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1, with ahopper removed for illustration;

[0023]FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 2;

[0024]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the hopper, witha hopper lid being detached, which encloses a dispensing drum and adiverter;

[0025]FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a hopper body, the dispensing drum,and the diverter of FIG. 4;

[0026]FIG. 6A is a schematic view of the hopper lid being in a closedposition;

[0027]FIG. 6B is a schematic view of the hopper lid being in a removalposition;

[0028]FIG. 6C is a schematic view of the hopper lid being in an openposition;

[0029]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the diverter;

[0030]FIG. 8A is a perspective view of one embodiment of the dispensingdrum;

[0031]FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the dispensing drum viewing fromthe opposite end of FIG. 8A;

[0032]FIG. 8C is a schematic end view of the dispensing drum of FIG. 8B;

[0033]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an accumulatordoor;

[0034]FIG. 10 is a schematic view of one embodiment of air seals betweenthe hopper lid and the hopper body, and between the hopper body and anaccumulator;

[0035]FIG. 11 is a schematic view of the reversible dispensing drum;

[0036]FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of the reversible dispensingdrum and its control means;

[0037]FIG. 13A is a partial exploded view of one embodiment of aload/weight sensing/measuring assembly;

[0038]FIG. 13B is an exploded view of the embodiment of the load/weightsensing/measuring/dispensing assembly shown in FIG. 13A;

[0039]FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the load/weight sensing/measuringassembly;

[0040]FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram of the load/weightsensing/measuring assembly;

[0041]FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a load sensor output based on adistance between a magnet to a sensor; and

[0042]FIG. 17 is a functional flow chart of an adaptive weighingoperation of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0043] The present invention provides for a reliable method andapparatus for dispensing articles and controlling the dispensingmechanism to more accurately dispense the desired articles. Such controlmay also be expanded to learn over time to modify the control to achieveeven greater accuracy.

[0044] In the following description of the exemplary embodiment,reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof,and in which is shown by way of illustration the specific embodiment inwhich the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that otherembodiments may be utilized when structural and other changes may bemade without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0045] Turning now to FIGS. 1-3, there is illustrated a preferredmovable dispenser unit designated by the reference numeral 20. Thedispenser 20 includes a plastic molded hopper 22 which is mounted onto ahousing or a frame 24 via extension members 26,28. The extension members26,28 slidably fit through integrally formed grooves (not shown) at thebottom or side of the hopper 22. The extension member 26 has a shouldersection 30 at one end to retain the hopper 22 in place. It will beappreciated that other arrangements to support the hopper 22 can be usedwithin the scope of the invention. For example, the extension member 28can be replaced by another extension member 26 which is disposed at theopposite side of the extension member 26 as now shown in FIG. 2.

[0046] The hopper 22 also includes a removable lid 32. Preferably, thehopper 22, when loaded with articles, is covered with the lid 32 to slowthe defrosting/thawing of the frozen articles. The lid 32 is mountedonto a hopper body 34 at one edge as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The hopperlid 32 has a pair of curve-shaped notches 36,38 to receive a D-shapedrod member 40 which is extended from the hopper body 34. FIGS. 6A-Cillustrate three positions that the hopper lid 32 may be placed. FIG. 6Ashows that the hopper lid 32 is in a closed position, whereby theD-shaped rod member 40 is disposed approximately vertical to the lid 32,and the curve-shaped notch 36 is not aligned with the D-shaped rodmember 40 so that the lid 32 may not be removed. FIG. 6B shows that thehopper lid 32 is in a removal position, for example, 30° degrees fromthe closed position, whereby the D-shaped rod member 40 is aligned withthe curved-shaped notch 36 so that the lid 32 can be removed. FIG. 6Cshows that the hopper lid 32 is in an open position, for example, 90°degrees from the closed position, whereby the D-shaped rod member 40 isapproximately parallel to the lid 32. It will be appreciated that theangles can be varied according to the user's desire. In the openposition, the lid 32 may still not be aligned with the curved-shapednotch 36 so that the lid 32 cannot be removed. It will be appreciatedthat the removal position can be changed within the scope of the presentinvention. For example, the lid 32 may be removed at the open position.The orientation of the curve of the notches 36,38 and/or the orientationof the D of the rod member 40 can be varied within the scope of theinvention. In a preferred embodiment, the lid 32 is moved at a degreesmaller than 90° degree, such as 30°, because in some instances, theremay be an obstacle above the lid 32. Accordingly, the lid does not haveto be opened all the way to be removed. The lid can be removed at anangle, such as 30°, without hitting the obstacle.

[0047] Back in FIGS. 1-3, the walls of the hopper 22 may also include aplurality of ribs 42 integrally formed therein to provide additionalstrength and/or for aesthetic purposes.

[0048] A control switch 44 may be mounted on the extension member 28 toturn on the dispenser unit 20. Also, a display 46 may be mounted on theframe 24 via through holes 48 a-c to monitor the dispensing process.Electrical wires can be hidden at the back of the frame 24 via throughhole 50 and/or a larger area 52.

[0049] A basket (not shown) can be placed on a plurality of bars 54 of atray holder 56. The tray holder 56 may be mounted on the frame 24. Atray 58 can slide in and out of the tray holder 56 like a drawerconstruction. The tray 58 is arranged and configured to receive thespilled or fallen articles outside of the basket. When the articles aredispensed from an accumulator 60, the basket should be placed underneathan accumulator door 62. A sensor 63 can be mounted onto the frame 24 viaa through hole 64 to detect the presence of the basket. Once the sensorsenses that a basket is present, the sensor sends a signal to acontroller 142 (best seen in FIG. 12), e.g. a microprocessor known inthe art. The articles can then be dispensed upon request. It will beappreciated that other sensor mechanisms can be implemented to sensewhether the basket is empty without departure from the principles of thepresent invention. In addition, a basket location indicator can bearranged and configured on the tray holder 56. For example, an edge(s)of the tray holder 56 extends toward the side(s) of the basket to ensurethat when the basket contacts the edge(s), the basket is directlyunderneath the accumulator door 62.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 3, the accumulator 60 is mounted onto the frame24 and is separate from the hopper 22 to ensure accurate measurement ofweight of the articles stored in the accumulator 60. The area betweenthe bottom end of the hopper 22 and the accumulator 60 is theaccumulator article storage area 61. The stored articles are held by theaccumulator door 62 until a target weight of the articles is reached.The weight of the articles is monitored by a load/weightsensing/measuring assembly 66 as illustrated on the back side of theframe 24. FIGS. 13A-B illustrate the parts and components of a preferredembodiment of the load/weight sensing/measuring assembly 66. Acompression spring 68 is mounted on the frame 24. The spring 68 has itspredetermined length and is compressed to different lengths whendifferent weights of the articles are measured. The load/weightsensing/measuring assembly 66 is pivotable around a pivotal bearingassembly, such as a pair of pivotal bearings 70,72 as shown in FIG. 13B.The bearings 70,72 are connected to a pivotal rod 74, and the assembly66 is pivoted about the axis of the rod 74. The rod 74 is connected toan assembly plate 76 at the bottom end of the assembly 66. A magnet (notshown) is retained in a magnet enclosure 80 which is connected to theassembly plate 76 on one side. On the other side of the enclosure 80, asensor 82 (preferably a magnetic sensor), a distance apart from themagnet, is mounted on the frame 24. When there is no article in theaccumulator storage area 61, the distance between the sensor 82 and themagnet is predetermined (a home position). When the articles areaccumulated in the area 61, the load/weight sensing/measuring assembly60 pivots thus compresses the spring 68 while shortening the distancebetween the sensor 82 and the magnet in the enclosure 80. The sensor 82in turn sends a weighed signal to the controller 142 (best seen in FIGS.12, 14, and 15) which determines whether a target weight for dispensingis reached. Based on the weighed signal and the predeterminedparameters, the controller 142 sends a control signal to a drum motor138. The activation/deactivation and the rotation speed of the drummotor 138 are controlled by the controller. Once the desired weight isreached, the controller 142 then determines whether a user dispensingrequest or an automatic dispensing request is made. If the request ismade, the controller sends a control signal to an accumulator motor 84to open the accumulator door 62.

[0051] For better illustration and understanding, a schematic view ofthe load/weight sensing/measuring assembly 66 is shown in FIG. 14, afunctional block diagram of the load/weight sensing/measuring assembly66, the control means, and the accumulator door 62 is shown in FIG. 15.

[0052] Further, the sensor 82 may also sense the distance afterdispensing. In some cases, particles of the articles may stick on theaccumulator 60 after dispensing which may cause inaccuracy of the weightmeasurement for the next dispensing cycle. The sensor 82 sends acorrection signal to the controller so as to adjust a “zero” weight.

[0053]FIG. 16 illustrates a schematic diagram of the input/output of thesensing/weighing mechanism between the sensor 82 and the magnet. Thehorizontal axis represents the distance, e.g. d1,d2 (in FIG. 14),between the magnet and the sensor 82. The vertical axis represents theoutput of the sensor 82. The envelop 158 is a sensor operation envelopof the sensor 82. The darkened window 160 is an actual weighing windowof the assembly 66. It can be seen from FIG. 17 that the actual weighingwindow 160 can be adjusted within the sensor operation envelop 158according to the different “zero” weight (or called “tare weight”)adjustment.

[0054]FIG. 17 illustrates a functional flow chart of an adaptiveweighing operation of the present invention. This adaptive weighingmethod can be implemented in the controller 142 during theweighing/measuring process of the articles in the accumulator 60 so asto dispense the articles in an efficient and intelligent manner.Preferably, an adaptive weighing operation reacts to the approachingtarget weight and determines an appropriate dispensing rate, e.g.reduces the dispensing rate, etc. The adaptive weighing method optimizesthe dispensing rate by adjusting its dispensing rate to match apredetermined rate. The controller monitors in real time the sensedweight signal from the sensor 82 and operates the drum motor 138 tocontrol the articles dispensed into the accumulator area 61 to apredetermined level. Furthermore, by monitoring the movement of the drum114 and the weight of the transferred articles in the accumulator 60,the controller 142 learns the characteristics and parameters of thedispensing cycle and in turn determines the manner in which the drum 114should be operated in a future dispensing cycle. Accordingly, theadaptive weighing method not only improves the accuracy and efficiencyof the dispensing rate, but also provides an intelligent dispensingprocess.

[0055] In FIG. 17, the adaptive weighing operation starts in box 162. Aparameter, Ideal_Weight, is increased by a parameter, Ideal_Rate, timesa parameter, Interval in box 164. The parameters, Ideal_Weight,Ideal_Rate, and Interval, have predetermined values. Next, thecontroller 142 compares the measured current weight of the articles heldby the accumulator door 62 to the Ideal_Weight in box 166. If thecurrent weight is greater than the Ideal_Weight (i.e. the “yes” path),the controller sets a target rate (a parameter for determining thedispensing rate which transforms to a control signal to the motor 138)to be the current dispensing rate minus Ar in box 168. In thissituation, the current weight may approach to the target weight. If thecurrent weight is not greater than the Ideal_Weight (i.e. the “no”path), the controller sets the target rate to be the current dispensingrate plus Ar, in box 170. In this situation, the current weight may nothave approached to the target weight. The value Ar can be apredetermined constant or a value proportional to or approximatelyproportional to the difference between the ideal weight and the actualweight. It will be appreciated that the value Ar can be adjusted withinthe scope and spirit of the invention. For example, it can be adjusteddepending on the type of product, etc.

[0056] The controller 142 then sets a parameter, Rate_Limit, to be aproduct of a constant, k, and the difference between the target weightand the current weight in box 172. Next, in box 174, the controllercompares the Rate_Limit calculated in box 174 to the target rate set ineither box 168 or 170. If the Rate_Limit is greater than the target rate(i.e. the “yes” path), the target rate is then used as a dispensing ratefor further dispensing, i.e. the dispenser motor 138 is driven by thetarget rate in box 176, and the dispensing rate continues to be updatedto the new target rate in box 178. If the Rate_Limit is not greater thanthe target rate (i.e. the “no” path), the Rate_Limit is then used as adispensing rate for further dispensing, i.e. the dispenser motor 138 isdriven by the Rate_Limit in box 180. Thereafter, one cycle of theadaptive weighing operation finishes in box 182.

[0057] Accordingly, the dispensing rate is only updated if it is lessthan the Rate_Limit. When the target rate is greater than theRate_Limit, it indicates that the dispenser is close enough to thetarget weight that it should begin slowing down to stop the motor. Also,when weighing is complete, the dispenser may compare the initial andfinal values for the dispensing rate. In this manner, when the dispenseris confronted with a new product, it can adjust itself such that itbegins with an optimum weighing speed, and over a period of time, e.g.after several dispensing cycles of the new product, the controllerlearns the characteristics and parameters of the new product and is ableto adjust itself to fit for the new product. Further, in a similarmanner, the controller can adjust itself in real time to gradual changesin the product, such as thawing.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 13B, the accumulator motor 84 is mounted on ahousing 78 which is in turn mounted onto the plate 76. The motor 84 canbe a conventional DC motor known in the motor art. A motor shaft 85 isretained in a drive member 86. The drive member 86 is connected to acenter link 88. The center link 88 has two U-shapes, each one of whichis connected to a side link 90,92, respectively. Each of the side links90,92 is pivotally jointed with a connecting member 94,96, respectively.A spring 98 is disposed between one end of the connecting member 94 andone end of the connecting member 96. In addition, each of the connectingmembers 94,96 is mounted onto an accumulator door arm 100, 102 (see FIG.9) via a connecting tube 100′,102′, respectively. The connecting tubes100′, 102′ extend at a first end through the plate 76 and at a secondend through the housing 78. The door arms 100,102 are retained in theconnecting tubes 100′,102′ by mounting pins 103,105 and retainingsprings 107,109. As shown in FIG. 9, at the first end of each of thedoor arms 100,102, a piece of door flap 104,106 is connected to eachdoor arm 100,102, respectively. The door arms 100,102 and the door flaps104,106 form the accumulator door 62 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0059] Back in FIG. 13B, the spring 98 is normally biased such that theaccumulator door 62 is normally closed. When the controller 142 signalsto open the accumulator door 62, the motor shaft 85 of the accumulatormotor 84 drives the member 86 which in turn cranks the center link 88 inone direction which alternately brings the side link 90 close to theside link 92 and brings the side link 92 close to the side link 90.Accordingly, the side links 90,92 bring the top end of the connectingmember 94/100′,96/102′ close to each other, whereby the arms 100,102rotate toward each other which opens the door flaps 104,106. Meanwhile,the spring 98 is expanded. The articles in the area 61 are dispensedinto the basket. The motor 84 runs for a predetermined period of timeset in the controller. After the dispensing, the controller sends acontrol signal to the motor 84 to close the accumulator door 62. Themotor 84 runs for a predetermined period of time set in the controlleror until sensing a home position by a sensor 110. In the closingoperation, the biased spring 98 assists the motor 84 to move the top ofthe connecting members 94,96 away from each other. The arms 100,102 arein turn rotated in their opposite directions, which close theaccumulator door 62. The spring 98 also provides a safety feature whenthe door is closed to prevent pinch hazard which would be caused by arigid member if it replaces the spring 98. The parts and components ofthe accumulator 60, except the accumulator door 62 and the ends of thearms 100,102, are disposed inside between the housing 78 and the plate76.

[0060] Further as shown in FIG. 13B, the home position of theaccumulator door is determined by the home position of the motor shaft85 which is registered in a home registration vane 106. The homeregistration vane 106 is retained by a self locking ring 108. The sensor110 is mounted on the accumulator motor 84 proximate the homeregistration vane 106. The sensor 110 is used to detect the homeposition of the motor shaft 85 via the vane 106. The sensed signal issent to the controller 142 to signify the home position of the motorshaft so that the controller is informed the status of the motor 84 todetermine whether the motor 84 should be stopped.

[0061] The accumulator door 62 is best seen in FIG. 9. The two doorflaps 104,106 of the accumulator door 62 are arranged and configured tohave one of the door flaps 106 extends over the other door flap 104 (orvice versa) at their connecting end to restrict air flow entering intoor exiting out of the accumulator door 62. This accumulator doorconstruction helps slow the defrosting/thawing of the frozen articlescaused by air flow.

[0062] Mounting means of various parts and components which are shown inthe drawings are preferably used in the present invention. It will beappreciated that other mounting or attaching means can be used withoutdeparture from the principles of the present invention.

[0063] Back in FIGS. 4 and 5, the hopper body 34 contains a diverter 112and a drum 114. The diverter 112 is detachably mounted on an inside wallof the hopper body 34. On the inside wall, there are two shoulder bolts116,118. The heads of each shoulder bolts 116,118 extends through holes120,122 of the diverter 112 (best seen in FIG. 7). The through holes120,122 are adjacent to slots 124,126, respectively. A locking plate 128has two holes closer to one edge than the opposite edge of the plate128. When the holes of the locking plate 128 are aligned with theshoulder bolts 116,118 and the through holes 120,122 of the diverter112, the diverter 112 is locked in place on the inside wall the diverter112. When the locking plate 128 with the two holes is placed closer tothe upper end of the hopper 22, the diverter 112 is locked in placewhereby the shoulder bolts 116,118 are disposed in the slots 124,126,.When the locking plate 128 with the two holes is placed farther from theupper end of the hopper 22, the diverter 112 is locked in place wherebythe shoulder bolts 116,118 are disposed in the holes 120,122.Accordingly, the distance between the diverter 112 and the drum 114 canbe adjusted by orienting the plate 128. This allows different sizes ofarticles to be dispensed, e.g. the larger sized articles such as onionrings or the smaller sized articles such as french fries.

[0064] An enlarged view of the diverter 112 is shown in FIG. 7. Thediverter 112 has a mounting section 130 and a flexible C-shaped section132 with a plurality of prongs 134. Each of the prongs 134 is preferablyresilient and made of plastic materials such as ABS plastic materials,etc. As a result, when a larger piece of article passes through thespace between the prongs 134 and the drum 114, the correspondingprong(s) 134 is temporarily deformed to allow the larger piece ofarticle to fall into the accumulator without breaking the piece. Sinceonly the corresponding prong(s) 134 is deformed, the other prongs canstill function as a diverter to control the amount of the articles tofall into the accumulator 60.

[0065] Further in FIGS. 4 and 5, the drum 114 is detachably mounted on amotor shaft 136 (best seen in FIG. 3) of the drum motor 138 (best seenin FIGS. 1 and 2). The drum motor 138 drives the drum 114 to move thearticles toward the diverter (best seen in FIG. 11). The motor 138 canbe any type of suitable motor known in the motor art which provides thecontrol of the drum position and force imposed on the drum.

[0066] In addition, a sensor is arranged to sense the velocity (i.e. therotation speed) of the drum and/or the current generated from therotation of the motor. The sensed signal is then sent to the controller142 which sends a control signal to control the rotation of the drummotor 138. When the rotation speed of the drum decreases and/or thecurrent increases, there is an indication that a clog may occur betweenthe drum 114 and the diverter 112. Upon receipt of the sensed signal bythe controller 142, the controller sends a control signal to the motor138 to reverse the motor for a predetermined time or turn. Then, thecontroller sends a control signal to further rotate the motor in anormal direction. For better illustration and understanding, afunctional block diagram of the reversible drum and the control means isshown in FIG. 12.

[0067] Further, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, the drum motor 138 is mountedonto the frame 24. The motor shaft 136 passes through the frame 24 toconnect to the drum 114. The reversing drum assembly significantlyreduces the article (e.g. french fries) breakage during their transferfrom the hopper 22 to the accumulator 60.

[0068]FIGS. 8A,B illustrate a preferred embodiment of the drum 114. FIG.8A shows a first end 144 of the drum 114, and FIG. 8B shows a second end146 of the drum 114. The second end 146 of the drum 114 slides onto themotor shaft 136 of the accumulator motor 138. The second end 146 has abore 148 which is arranged and configured to have a twist entrance foreasily mounting the drum 114 onto the drum motor shaft 136. The twistentrance provides a self-alignment for the drum 114 to slide onto thedrum motor shaft 136. A schematic view of the twist entrance is shown inFIG. 8C. This self-alignment allows a user to easily place the drum ontothe motor shaft without having to reach inside the hopper to adjust thedrum position while placing the hopper onto the dispenser apparatus,especially when the hopper contains a full load of articles.

[0069] Further in FIGS. 8A,B, the drum 114 is a cylindrical body 149having raised areas, e.g. ribs 150 a-i, and land areas, e.g. grooves152. Preferably, the ribs 150 a-i have different predetermined heightsabove the grooves 152 so as to allow different spaces between thediverter 112 and the drum 114. This drum configuration provides a betterhandling of a variety of articles as well as reduces breakage of thearticles during the transfer.

[0070]FIG. 10 illustrates air restricting members 154,156 which areprovided between the hopper lid 32 and the hopper body 34 and betweenthe hopper body 34 and the accumulator 60, respectively. When the lid 32is closed onto the body 34, the air restricting member 154 restricts airflow between the lid 32 and the body 34. Also, after the hopper 22slides onto the accumulator 60, the air restricting member 156 restrictsair flow between the hopper 22 and the accumulator 60. The airrestricting members help slow the defrosting/thawing of the frozenarticles so as to provide a better handling of articles.

[0071] While a particular embodiment of the invention has been describedwith respect to its application for dispensing articles, such as frozenfrench fries, onion rings, etc., it will be understood by those of skillin the art that the invention is not limited by such application orembodiment for the particular components disclosed and described herein.It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other circuitconfigurations that embody the principles of this invention and otherapplications therefor can be configured within the spirit and intent ofthis invention. The circuit configuration described herein is providedas only one example of an embodiment that incorporates and practices theprinciples of this invention. Other modifications and alterations arewell within the knowledge of those skilled in the art and are to beincluded within the broad scope of the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. An apparatus for dispensing food articles from a primarystorage holding area to a basket, comprising: a) a primary food articlestorage location; b) an accumulator food article storage locationarranged and configured proximate the primary food article storagelocation, wherein the food articles fall by gravity to the basket, thebasket generally located beneath the accumulator food article storagelocation; c) a rotatable, reversible drum for controllably transferringthe food articles from the primary to the accumulator food articlestorage location in response to a first control signal; d) anaccumulator door for controllably dispensing the food articles from theaccumulator food article storage location to the basket in response to asecond control signal; and e) a controller for receiving a dispensesignal and generating the first control signal for the reversible drumand the second control signal for the accumulator door.
 2. The apparatusof claim 1 , wherein the reversible drum is rotatable in both a forwarddirection in a normal operation and a reversed direction in a reverseoperation, wherein upon sensing that a rotation speed of the drum isslower than a normal rotation speed of the drum, the drum is rotated inthe reversed direction for a predetermined turn of the drum, and thedrum returns to rotate in the forward direction after the predeterminedturn.
 3. An apparatus for dispensing food articles from a primarystorage holding area to a basket, comprising: a) a primary food articlestorage location; b) an accumulator food article location arranged andconfigured proximate the primary food article storage location, whereinthe food articles fall by gravity to a basket, the basket generallylocated beneath the accumulator location; c) a rotatable drum fortransferring the food articles from the primary to the accumulatorlocation in response to a first control signal; d) an accumulator doorfor controllably dispensing the food articles from the accumulatorlocation to the basket in response to a second control signal; e) aload/weight sensing/measuring assembly for weighing the food articles inthe accumulator food article location and generating a weighed signal;f) a controller for receiving a dispense signal and the weighed signaland generating the first control signal for the drum, the controllercomparing the weighed signal to a predetermined value and generating thesecond control signal for the accumulator door.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 3 , wherein the load/weight sensing/measuring assembly includes aspring being configured and arranged to interconnect between a magnetand a sensor disposed proximate to the magnet, wherein the sensor sensesa distance between the magnet and the sensor and generates the weighedsignal for the controller.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein theaccumulator door is configured and arranged to have first and secondflaps being opened by an accumulator motor and closed by a biased springinterconnected between the first and second flaps, wherein the secondflap extends over the first flap at a connection end between the firstand second flaps to restrict air flow between inside and outside of theaccumulator food article location.
 6. A drum apparatus for transferringfood articles in a dispenser apparatus, comprising: a) a cylinder havinga longitudinal axis and alternating raised and land areas runningparallel at a peripheral of the cylinder along with the longitudinalaxis; and b) wherein the raised areas have different predeterminedheights above the land areas.
 7. The drum apparatus of claim 6 , whereinthe cylinder has a bore disposed proximate a center of the cylinder andproximate a first end of the cylinder, the bore has a twist entrance toallow a self-alignment between the drum apparatus and a memberreceivable in the bore without manually turning the cylinder.
 8. Adiverter apparatus for transferring food articles in a dispenserapparatus, comprising: a) a plate having mounting slots for mounting thediverter to the dispenser apparatus; and b) a plurality of resilientprongs being located side by side with a predetermined distance fromeach other and connected to the plate.
 9. A hopper apparatus forretaining food articles in a dispenser apparatus, comprising: a) acontainer having side walls and two open ends, wherein the food articlesare loaded into the container at the first open end and dispensed out ofthe container at the second open end; and b) a cover covering the firstopen end of the container, the cover and the container being configuredand arranged to allow the cover to be in a removal position, an openposition, and a closed position.
 10. The hopper apparatus of claim 9 ,wherein the container includes an elongated rod member having a D shape,the cover includes a notch for retaining the elongated rod member, thenotch has an angled passage and a round section at an end of thepassage, when the D-shaped rod member aligns with the angled passage,the cover is in the removal position.
 11. The hopper apparatus of claim10 , wherein the removal position of the cover is approximately 30°degrees from the closed position.
 12. The hopper apparatus of claim 9 ,wherein the container includes an air restricting member at a peripheralof the container facing toward a peripheral of the cover, the airrestricting member restricts air flow between the cover and thecontainer.
 13. An apparatus for dispensing articles from a primarystorage holding area, comprising: a) a primary article storage location;b) an accumulator article storage location, the accumulator articlestorage location including an accumulator door arranged and configuredto selectively open upon receipt of an accumulator door open signal,wherein the articles fall by gravity to a container generally locatedbeneath the accumulator door; c) a transfer assembly for controllablytransferring the articles from the primary article storage location tothe accumulator article storage location in response to a controlsignal; d) a load/weight sensing/measuring assembly for weighing thearticles in the accumulator storage location in real time and generatinga weighed signal; and e) a controller for receiving the weighed signal,comparing the weighed signal to a predetermined value, and generating acontrol signal for the transfer assembly, the controller furtherreceiving a dispense signal and generating the accumulator door opensignal, wherein the controller adjusts a dispensing rate of the transferassembly in real time.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein thetransfer assembly comprises: a) a rotatable, reversible drum; and b) aresilient diverter located an adjustable distance from the drum, whereinarticles to be dispensed are transferred between the drum and thediverter.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the drum includes acylinder having a longitudinal axis and alternating raised and landareas running parallel at peripheral of the cylinder along with thelongitudinal axis of the drum, wherein the raised areas have differentpredetermined heights above the land areas.
 16. The apparatus of claim15 , wherein the cylinder has a bore disposed proximate a center of thecylinder and proximate a first end of the cylinder, the bore has a twistentrance to allow a self-alignment between the drum apparatus and amember receivable in the bore without manually turning the cylinder. 17.The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the drum is rotatable in both aforward direction in a normal operation and a reversed direction in areverse operation, wherein upon sensing that a rotation speed of thedrum is slower than a normal rotation speed of the drum, the drum isrotated in the reversed direction for a predetermined turn of the drum,and the drum returns to rotate in the forward direction after thepredetermined turn.
 18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the diverterincludes a plate and a plurality of resilient prongs being located sideby side with a predetermined distance from each other and connected tothe plate.
 19. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a hopperfor retaining the articles, wherein the drum and the diverter aremounted on the hopper, the hopper includes a container having side wallsand two open ends, wherein the articles are loaded into the container atthe first open end and dispensed out of the container at the second openend; and a cover covering the first open end of the container, the coverand the container being configured and arranged to allow the cover to bein a removal position, an open position, and a closed position.
 20. Theapparatus of claim 19 , wherein the container includes an elongated rodmember having a D shape, the cover includes a notch for retaining theelongated rod member, the notch has an angled passage and a roundsection at an end of the passage, when the D-shaped rod member alignswith the angled passage, the cover is in the removal position.
 21. Theapparatus of claim 20 , wherein the removal position of the cover isapproximately 30° degrees from the closed position.
 22. The apparatus ofclaim 19 , wherein the cover includes an air restricting member at aperipheral of the container facing toward a peripheral of the cover, theair restricting member restricts air flow between the cover and thecontainer.
 23. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the accumulator doorcomprises: a) a pair of longitudinally opposing rods, each of the rodsbeing rotatable about its longitudinal axis; b) a pair of door flaps,each of the door flaps being operatively mounted onto the respectiverod, wherein rotation of the rods translates to rotation of the doorflaps, one of the door flaps extending over the other door flap at aconnection end of the two door flaps to restrict air flow when the doorflaps are closed; c) first and second opposing members, wherein each ofthe opposing members is connected to one of the rods, and the opposingmembers are rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the rods; d) aspring connected between the opposing members for positioning themembers into a first position which translates the door flaps into aclosed position; and e) a crank link driven by an accumulator motor forplacing the opposing members into a second position which translates thedoor flaps into an open position, the spring is biased when the membersare in the second position.
 24. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein theload/weight sensing/measuring assembly includes a spring beingconfigured and arranged to interconnect between a magnet and a sensordisposed proximate to the magnet, wherein the sensor senses a distancebetween the magnet and the sensor and generates the weighed signal forthe controller.
 25. A method of dispensing articles comprising: a)loading the articles into a primary article storage location; b)initiating a dispense signal; c) controllably transferring the articlesto an accumulator article storage location in response to a controlsignal, the control signal being adjusted in real time according to achange condition of a transfer assembly, the accumulator article storagelocation including an accumulator door arranged and configured toselectively open upon receipt of an accumulator door open signal,wherein the articles fall by gravity to a container, generally locatedbeneath the accumulator door; d) weighing the articles in theaccumulator article storage location in real time and generating aweighed signal; e) receiving the weighed signal, comparing the weighedsignal to a predetermined value, and adjusting the control signal; andf) generating the accumulator door open signal.
 26. An article ofmanufacture for a computer-based data processing system, the article ofmanufacture comprising a computer readable medium having instructionsfor causing a computer to perform a method of dispensing articlescomprising: a) loading the articles into a primary article storagelocation; b) initiating a dispense signal; c) controllably transferringthe articles to an accumulator article storage location in response to acontrol signal, the control signal being adjusted in real time accordingto a change condition of a transfer assembly, the accumulator articlestorage location including an accumulator door arranged and configuredto selectively open upon receipt of an accumulator door open signal,wherein the articles fall by gravity to a container, generally locatedbeneath the accumulator door; d) weighing the articles in theaccumulator article storage location in real time and generating aweighed signal; e) receiving the weighed signal, comparing the weighedsignal to a predetermined value, and adjusting the control signal; andf) generating the accumulator door open signal.